Fabric conditioning device



Jan. 13, 197-0 G. H. RISACHER 3,

FABRIC CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I icd States Patent 3,488,873 FABRIC CONDITIONING DEVICE Gerard I-I. Risacher, Mansfield, Ohio, assiguor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 15, 1968, Ser. No. 745,040 Int. Cl. D06f 75/10, 75/06, 75/32 U.S. CI. 38-75 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Fabric conditioning device in the form of a pressing iron. The instant device is characterized by the provision of temperature responsive means which actuates means for indicating the displacement of the temperature responsive means which displacement is indicative of whether the proper ironing temperature has been reached, either, as the result of a temperature increase or decrease but more significantly as the result of the latter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to ironing devices and more particularly, to indicator structure therefor.

It is well known that the wholehearted acceptance of consumer products, depends on the convenience with which they can be used. To this end pressing irons are provided with temperature setting control knobs which are so located as to be convenient for actuation by the finger or the thumb. As it turns out, this location cannot, usually, be conveniently seen, for determining, when proceeding from one type of fabric to another, if the control is properly set.

One solution to the above-outlined problem has resulted in the provision of indicator mechanism remote from the control knob and at a location more conveniently seenby the operator. Such mechanism, being either mechanically linked to the control knob for positioning thereof or being temperature responsive, provides the user with a guide as to where the control has been set. A typical placement of such indicator mechanism is subadjacent the hand gripping portion of the handle structure. This location is not totally satisfactory since the resultant mechanisms employ rotary indicators which are partially hidden by the handle or are so constructed as to necessitate tilting of the iron for viewing.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved clothes pressing device.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide, in a clothes pressing device, mechanism for correlating the setting of a temperature control therefor, with a conveniently located and, therefore, readily visible indicator.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a fabric conditioning device, means for correlating the temperature of the pressing surface thereof with the type of fabric to be conditioned, such mechanism being charac terized by having temperature responsive means and being further characterized by the converting of rotational movement to movement which is effectively linear.

Still another object of this invention is to provide indicator mechanism for an iron which can be readily installed in existing constructions and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above-listed objects are accomplished by the provision of temperature responsive mechanism comprising a coiled bimetal which is riveted to a mounting bracket having good heat transfer properties and which ice bracket is, in turn, secured in a suitable location by ex ing hardware of the fabric conditioning device. A verti rod is attached to the coiled bimetal at one end then and carries at the other end thereof a horizontally posed indicator arm. The bimetal is mounted on one s of the device while the free end of the indicator arm disposed for movement adjacent the opposite end of device. Thus, rotational movement of the rod is cl verted to substantially linear movement on the side the iron most convenient for viewing and in an area obstructed by the handle structure or any other part the device. The indicator is visible through a rectilin transparent window, and for such purposes, is provir with a readily visible, painted surface, the extent of wh compensates for deviations for pure rectilinear moti in the movement of the free end of the indicator.

Further objects and advantages of the present inv tion will become more apparent when considered in vi of the following detailed description and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly brol away, of a steam iron incorporating the present inventir FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the iron shown in FIG. and

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRI EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, especially FIGURE reference character 10 designates generally a steam in The iron 10 comprises conventional components such a sole plate 11, a shell or cover member 12 and a han structure 13 secured to the shell structure 12 by a plot ity of screws 14. The shell is, in turn, secured to the s plate by means of a hat-shaped bracket 16 having threaded stud 17 extending through a water reservoir and the shell 12 and having a nut 19 aflixed thereto.

The handle structure 13 comprises a hand gripping p tion 21, front post member 22, rear post member 23 2 a shell engaging portion 24. The portion 24, unlike hand gripping portion 21, is not continuous or in of words, has a break intermediate the longitudinal ext thereof. The aforementioned break is concealed by saddle-shaped escutcheon plate 26 provided with a re linear transparent window 27 provided for a purpose be discussed hereinafter. The window, molded from 2 suitable material, for example plastic, comprises slots grooves 28 on either side thereof, which slots or groo\ are in part, delineated by sloping lugs 29 of wall p tions 30. The window 27, which fits into a rectangu opening 31 in the plate 26, is captivated therein. edges of the plate defining the opening 31 are recei in the grooves or slots 28 andcontained therein throi cooperation of the lugs 29 and the top wall 32 of window 27.

The temperature of a heater structure 33, embedded the sole plate 11, is controlled by a bimetal element which serves to open and close a pair of contact carry: arms.36 and 37. To vary the point at which the cont arms 36 and 37 are Opened and closed, a control rod is linked, in any suitable manner, to the arm 37. Verti movement of the rod 38 is accomplished by a cont knob 39 and lever arm 41 operativcly associated witl rotatable cam and yoke construction, of conventional ct struction, generally indicated at 42. The knob, lever, c: and yoke are supported in a recessed area 43 of the in post member 22, the recessed area having a cover meml 44 thereover.

The cover member 44 has an indicia bearing meml 46 carried thereby. The indicia thereon provides me: cooperating with the knob 39 for adjustment of the Ct act arm 37. In like manner, the escutcheon plate 26 is )rovided with indicia adjacent the window 27, which coresponds to the indicia of the member 46 and which co- )perates with horizontally disposed indicator arm 47 car- 'ied by the upper end of a vertically disposed connector rod 48. The opposite end of the rod 48 is secured in a ;uitable manner, for example, by welding, to a coiled aimetal 49 which upon experiencing a rise in tempera- Lure effects counterclockwise rotation (as viewed in FIG- URE 2) of the rod 48 and indicator arm 47. Approxinately one-half of the arm 47 is painted or colored as ndicated at 50 such that it distinctively appears in the window 27. The colored part of the arm cooperates with ;he indicia disposed adjacent the window to correlate or ;how correspondence between the setting of the knob 39 with the temperature of the sole plate. The most useful aspect of this arrangement exhibiting itself when alternatey ironing fabrics, for example, when a fabric requiring a. higher temperature is followed by the ironing of a fabric requiring a lesser temperature. The indicator serves to let :he operator know that the iron has sufficiently cooled to avoid damage to the fabric requiring the lesser tempera- :ure.

The coiled bimetal 49 has a radially extending segment 51 which is secured to an L-shaped bracket 52 as by rivets 53. The bracket 52, made from any suitable ma- ;erial exhibiting good heat transfer properties, for exam- J16, aluminum, is secured in contact with a flange 54 on :he bracket 16 and with the existing screw 55 which would 1ormally serve to secure just the flange 54 in place.

The end of the indicator arm 47 opposite the colored portion 50 is turned back on itself as indicated at 56. In :he assembled condition as shown, the portion indicated at 56 has an aperture 57 which is aligned with a second aperture 58 in the main part of the arm 47 to permit insertion of the rod 48 therethrough. The bight portion 59 between the portion 56 and the main part of the arm tends to effect misalignment of the aperture 57 and 58 thereby :ausing a frictional fit of the arm 47 on the rod 48.

Since numerous changes may be made in the abovedescribed apparatus and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an iron, in combination,

a sole plate,

cover structure,

handle structure having a gripping portion extending along the longitudinal axis of said cover structure and sole plate and approximately in the middle thereof,

mounting structure secured to said sole plate and adapted to carry said cover structure,

temperature responsive means supported to one side of said handle structure, and

means for indicating response of said temperature responsive means, said indicating means being viewable at the other side of said handle structure.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein,

said temperature responsive means comprises a coiled bimetal.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 including,

a heat conducting bracket for mounting said coiled bimetal, said mounting bracket being in good heat transfer relation with said mounting structure and secured by the same means that secures said mount ing structure to said sole plate.

4. Structure as specified in claim 2 wherein, said indicator means comprises a horizontally movable arm attached at one end to a vertically oriented rod secured to said coiled bimetal, the part of said arm adjacent the free end thereof being visible through a window in said handle structure.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4 wherein,

said window is rectilinear and is disposed to the side of said handle structure, whereby it is unobstructed thereby.

6. Structure as specified in claim 5 wherein,

the attached end of said arm comprises a resilient segment having an aperture therein for receiving said rod and an adjacent segment of said attached end has an aperture which is aligned with said first mentioned aperture when the rod is also received therein, said resilient segment tending to return to its free position wherein said apertures are not aligned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

